NEW GOOD FISH GUIDE RATINGS SHOW VALUE OF UK SEAFOOD

New Good Fish Guide ratings show value of UK seafood. The Marine Conservation Society has released its newly updated Good Fish Guide ratings and is urging consumers to shop for seafood caught and farmed off the UK coast.

MCS says: “With Brexit on the horizon there are large changes expected in the way the UK’s fisheries are managed and the UK will be taking on more responsibility for managing stocks within our seas. It is more important than ever for consumers to pay close attention to how our UK fisheries and fish farms are doing, and to support sustainable UK seafood.

“With many fish stocks in a state of decline and under an increasing array of threats including overfishing, climate change and habitat loss, it’s now more important than ever for consumers to pay close attention to how sustainable their seafood is. 90% of the world’s fish stocks are fully or over-exploited from fishing. Recent figures indicate that 40% of assessed fish stocks in the waters around the UK are currently over-exploited from fishing and the region is set to fail many targets next year needed for healthy seas.”

Charlotte Coombes, MCS Good Fish Guide Manager, says: “In the UK, we’re creatures of habit, often going back to the same 5 species: cod, haddock, salmon, prawns and tuna, but that’s not always the best environmental choice. We urge people to explore other local seafood which is just as tasty, if not more so, than our kitchen staples.

“UK-caught or farmed seafood can be a great sustainable option when done right, but it’s vital that people take note of what species they’re buying, where it was caught or farmed, and how. The sustainability of the seafood you’re buying varies hugely depending on these 3 things. MCS’s Good Fish Guide looks at all of these to provide the clearest and most up-to-date picture of the state of the UK’s seafood possible, helping consumers to make sustainable and responsible choices.”